Post-Game Grades: Indiana Pacers Grind Out Important Road Victory Over Orlando Magic
By Ryan Barth
86. 38. 95. 100. Final
It was nearly a case of Deja Vu as the Indiana Pacers let another 4th quarter lead evaporate, but were able to hold on to secure a necessary victory over the Orlando Magic.
Coming off a very difficult overtime loss against the Miami Heat on Monday night, you knew the Pacers were determined to avoid an 0-2 start to their 4-game road trip. The Pacers had lost 7 of their last 8 games on the road, so it was imperative they regain their confidence away from Banker’s Life Fieldhouse and get rolling in the Magic Kingdom. All five starters had a positive +/- (the lowest being +15 for George Hill) and got to the free throw line for 29 attempts, hitting 25 overall. The Pacers have now defeated the Magic 6 straight times. Eat it Mickey.
The Good: The Pacers were able to withstand a late rally by the Magic and avoid another 4th quarter letdown by shoring up the pitfalls they had against Miami. Things got interesting down the stretch, but key free throws and several defensive stops allowed them to close it out. Great to see the team get out of the gate strong once again, staring with an 11-2 lead after the tip. Holding the Magic to 19% (6-31) from long range was a thing of beauty. It was as if the Pacers stopped defending the 3 in the 2nd half, knowing it was bound for brick town.
The Bad: Careless turnovers (17) wreaked havoc once again, causing the Pacers to score just 37 points in the 1st half. Most of the fast break attempts broke down and were terribly out of sync.
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MVP: Monta Ellis. His key steals, made free throws and crucial jumpers helped sealed the win. His game improves dramatically when he’s paired up with George Hill in the backcourt, making him a dual threat playmaker from inside and out.
LVP: CJ Miles. He shot 1-10 and most of his looks were out of rhythm and heavily defended. Good to see him back after a right shoulder injury knocked him out in the 1st quarter against Miami, but he might have needed another night off to rest up.
X-Factor: George Hill. He couldn’t miss from beyond the arc (3-3) and was one of the few Pacers who never turned the ball over. Here’s hoping he brought a chef with him on the road this week.
Indiana Pacers. PAUL GEORGE. B. <p>His 30-point scoring streak the last 3 games came to an end, but he was perfect from the stripe (9-9) and stayed composed with the officials when several calls didn’t go his way. It would be nice to see him have a game with only 1 or 2 turnovers though (another 5 turnovers tonight).</p>. Small Forward
A. <p>Stuffed the box score with 19 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds and 4 steals. He’s becoming an incredible distributor for this team and his shot fake from the 3 has worked well, allowing him to get good looks for his smooth midrange game. This team badly needs a closer and he’s more than capable of handling the role.</p><p><span style=. Shooting Guard. Indiana Pacers. MONTA ELLIS
B+. <p>His shots were falling (5-9 for 19 points) in his return to the starting lineup after missing the Miami game due to food poisoning. Allowed Victor Oladipo to go off in the 4th quarter though, which helped fuel the Magic’s comeback attempt.</p>. Point Guard. Indiana Pacers. GEORGE HILL
Power Forward. Indiana Pacers. LAVOY ALLEN. B-. <p>Typical Lavoy game with 6 points and 5 rebounds. Outstanding man-up block on Nikola Vucevic.</p>
Indiana Pacers. IAN MAHINMI. B+. <p>Narrowly missed another double-double with 8 points and 12 rebounds. Starting to develop quite nicely in the pick n’ roll game.</p>. Center
Indiana Pacers. RODNEY STUCKEY. C. <p>Led the bench unit with 27 minutes, but only got 6 points and 3 assists.</p>. Point Guard
Indiana Pacers. JORDAN HILL. B. <p>A few huge offensive rebounds in the 4th quarter that resulted in a big George Hill three pointer. Getting a lot more comfortable playing with his back to the basket.</p>. Center
C.J. MILES. D-. <p>Apparently his shoulder popped out a bit in the Miami game. Here’s hoping that injury doesn’t linger, because he was ice cold tonight.</p>. Shooting Guard. Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers. MYLES TURNER. B-. <p>Clearly still learning a lot about defense outside of blocking shots, but you’ll take 6 points and 5 rebounds from the rookie every time.</p>. Center
Indiana Pacers. GLENN ROBINSON III. C+. <p>Nice And-1 move to the hoop and pitched in with 5 points. Kind of a toss up at this point – you either prefer Chase Budinger’s ability to find open shooters and distribute on the break, or you like Little Dog’s tenacious energy and bounce. Who knows who Frank Vogel will ultimately stick with, but both players are getting their shot.</p>. Small Forward